Showing posts with label EIBF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EIBF. Show all posts

Sunday, 30 June 2024

Edinburgh Book Festival 2024

 



EIBF 2024

Since 2006 I have attended the EIBF. I would enjoy the fun, exuberance and festivities of the high street and after the walk down the mound and along George street to the relative calm and seclusion of the tree shaded book festival. A restorative juxtaposition.

 

Here I found a place of quiet reflection, big debate, colourful diversity, spontaneous conversations, intellectual challenge, famous faces, questioning politics. A place to anaylse or be informed. Intellectual freedoms and debates. There is also art, science, sport, history, economic and music and much more besides. It’s a place to refresh and for new ideas and interactions. .

 

EIBF was begun in 1983

EIBF is both national and international – with many well known Scottish authors – Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Alexander McCall Smith, Liz Lochhead, Christopher Brookmyre. Richard Holloway -  and also big names international names such as Elif Shakaf, Joseph Stiglitz, Margaret Atwood, Noam Chomsky and many more.

 



Neil Gaiman

Rachel Long

Simon Callow


This year the world leading book festival anticipates its brand new venue at the historic building next to the meadows  - with an expanded new outdoor Courtyard, the return of the Speigel tent and the Children’s tent in the courtyard, with lots of events and free activities to spark ideas and creativity.

Plus major events at the McEwan hall and food events at Elliott’s studio, Sciennes rd. 

 

My Top memories - One evening the Speigel tent was packed to hear an impromptu set by the Nile Rodgers! I felt so lucky to be there. He told stories of starting in Sesame street – and in-between played his songs with those very well kent riffs!

Another time was being mistaken for the famous Irish poet Seamus Heaney;s wife, on entering the book festival café, when Heaney we just ahead of me! 

 

I attend EIBF each year and its an unmatched place for informed debate, intellectual collaboration and creative thinking. Why are green activists targeting a place of free and open ideas for our future? When there are so many fake, ignorant click baits on so much of online media?

Ocean Vuong


This years theme is 'Future Tense' with a new venue at the Futures Institute – where Edinburgh’s famous Royal Infirmary once stood. And a new Scots festival director, Jenny Niven

 

Niven describes the Edinburgh festival as, “One of high octane and venerable, raucous and transformative, thoughtful and spontaneous….Is what brings the city to life, creating a playground for anyone who curiosity get the better of them. For ideas to take centre stage.”

“In a moment of such divisions and opposition – democracy thrives on good information, sanguine exchange  - the art of really listening and your voice deserves to be heard.”


TICKETS EIBF 2024 - https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/

 



**There will be several book festival themes - 

 

Future Tense - A toast to the future/ brilliant fiction/ future library/ generations/ data/ future politics/ imaginative realm.

How to live a meaningful life

Voterarma

Justified sinner

 


Friday, 30 September 2022

Edinburgh International book festival 2022 Review

Edinburgh Art college


Celebrates the enduring power of books. 

The bicycle racks are full at the book festival. Its now the second year at its new venue the Edinburgh Art college. With more of its usual buzz, with both in person and online events, there’s better children’s play area with a pirate ship and garden play area, and with more seating. It was a shock last year to move from Charlotte square gardens, where the Edinburgh International book festival took place from 1983 to 2019..

 

This year there were talks both in person and online.

In 2019 there were 900 events and now in 2022 events 600. With more streamlined events as expected less interest – as a result of the cost of accommodation and the pandemic.

 

Talks. At my first talk Edinburgh book festival, Irish writer Fintan O'Toole explored Ireland’s turbulent history from 1958 and whether Ireland might reunite. People wanting change while wanting things stay the same. But if we want things to stay the same things must change! The known and the unknown. 

American author Diana Gabaldon's talk was packed out and what an interesting lady! She was there to promote her 9th book in the Outlander saga - Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. She was emotional when she spoke of working to protect the Gaelic language. 

Noam Chmsky explored the corporate press, and encouraging debate in his book Chronicles of Dissent 

Lea Yi, from Albania, spoke of her book Free, Coming of Age at the end of History.


Diana Gabaldon

Ocean Vuong

Good Grief
Omar Musa


*My EIBF talks included - Diana Gabaldon, Fintan O'Toole, Brian Cox, Oliver Bullough, Lea Yi, Good Grief, Noam Chomsky,

Bigger names – Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Maggie O’Farrell, Irvine Welsh, 

(No talks by historian Tom Devine this year unfortunately.)

 *Music

PJ Harvey, Martha Wainwright, Stuart Cosgrove, 

James Runchie, The story of Bach’s masterpiece

 

*Politics

Imagine a country, Val McDermid & Jo sharp. 

Murray Pittock, Old Scotia Grandeur springs

Yasha Mounk, The Great Experiment

Franks Dikotter, The Rise of a superpower

 

*EIBF encourages us to debate, question, and look for truths, via a wide range of writers from to academics, novelists, historians, journalists, politicians, artists, poets and more. 

Some might claim Edinburgh festivals are not radical enough. But the talks I’ve attended at the book festival this year covered many challenges – freedom in Albania, turbulent Ireland since 1958, challenging debates, and encouraging Scotland language and culture. 

 



**BOOKS

Maggie OFaarrell, The Marriage Portrait

Murray Pittock, Scotland’s stories now, On this day. Part of the year of stories 2022.

Irvine Welsh, The long Knives

Alan Riach – Scottish literature an introduction (Iain banks, Irvine welsh, Alasdair Gray, Hugh MacDiarmid, Dunbar, Robert Garioch, WN Hubert, Burns Scott, Hogg, romanticism marginalized look in.



Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Noam Chomsky Dissent Across the Decades,

 

Noam Chomsky Dissent Across the Decades, gave an online talk at Edinburgh International book festival 2022.

 

Whether it’s discussing linguistics with Foucault in a televised debate, authoring more than 100 books or being a fierce critic of American foreign policy, Noam Chomsky has been a highly influential figure for nearly seven decades. Now in his mid 90s, he shows no signs of stopping and joins us today to discuss Chronicles of Dissent, an accessible and broad-ranging collection of talks for those who seek new perspectives on the big topics of our time.

 

*BOOK, Chronicles of Dissent, an accessible and broad-ranging collection of talks for those who seek new perspectives on the big topics of our time. Chomsky said that the corporate press often gets it wrong when ideas can be suppressed with things that you just cant think. We must encourage debate and to look elsewhere. To be different to totalitarian regimes. 

 

In 1920s,  where were the Russians getting information, from BBC and America – in fact many censored Russians better informed than Americans. Could the Ukraine war have been avoided if there had been some thought of Russian security and to Russian red lines, and not to move Nato to border closer.

 

Identity politics can be good. Scottish independence might be good, he said we would need think though the many consequences, and decide what you want for yourselves and also to retain the unity of UK. The UK can’t hang together in present form – is federalism an option? There will be lots of complications and consequences. Ireland reunification?

 

Brexit was a major error, and driven the UK into the pockets of the US. We face madman Putin, and the threat of fascism all over the world. Today levels of poverty are unprecedented.



Friday, 31 August 2018

Edinburgh Book Festival (EIBF) 2018 Photos

Karl Ove Knaasgard
Freedom to make the stories that shape us
Freedom to travel, the horizons we will know and understand, different landscapes, challenging people, new perspectives…

Many spoke of moving on from divisions – but also about us all having a voice. Activist and business women Gina Miller said these are dangerous times, we cannot afford to keep quiet, with her book 'Rise'. Chelsea Clinton was there to talk about women's voices, with her book 'She Persisted.' 

Neal Ascherson and James Naughtie the 1968 Year of Unrest and freedom spoke of the Paris riots of 68, in France they continue to believe they can make a difference. Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis spoke of the difficulties inherent in Europe but also the peace it has afforded us. 
Brian May

There is such a wide diversity of writers at EIBF – 
the big established names, the aspiring new writers, award winners, celebrities, sportsmen, politicians, academics, poets, musicians, artists, critics, crime writers, comedians, novelists, illustrators, children’s authors, psychologists, medical writers, economics, business people.

Bringing different voices together from across the globe, creates an inspiring place to exchange ideas, renew and interact..
The book festival provides an important balance to the daft comedy or the absurd at the Fringe - everything goes in August in Edina. The backdrop of Charlottes Square puts EIBF at the heart of Edina’s historic Georgian new town: the photographers come here from Spain and Italy. 
Chris Brookmyre

 TALKS EIBF
Paris Riots 68, with Neal Ascherson and James Naughtie
The 1968 Year of Unrest and freedom
Yanis Varoufakis
Karl Ove Knaasgard
Michael Marra: Arrest This Moment
Tom Devine: English in Scotland
Gina Miller; Rise

BOOKS
The Gathering poems – Alexander McCall Smith
Gina Miller
There were problems with several writers gaining visas to attend EIBF. Sadly too this is the last year that Scotland will be in the EU, because of this unwanted Brexit being imposed on us– and this has very serious difficulties for an international festival on this scale. 
Activist and business women Gina Miller said these are dangerous times, and we cannot afford to keep quiet. She spoke of moving on from past divisions – and I agree – but moving past our extreme and feudal wealth divisions will not be so easy. It is the system here that needs changed.
False tribalism and division must end for the sake of our country. But there are differences here. I believe difference and informed different views are essential to reach a realistic consensus. But artificial tribes, around old, ignorant hatreds have no place in a progressive democracy.  It is a total fallacy that ’Brexit’ is about any kind of independence – its about leaving the world’s most successful trading block and stopping immigration. By contrast Scotland needs and desires immigration.  
How can we best protect our civil rights. Maybe if Scotland does this, other parts of England will follow. Recently I saw a map of who owns Scotland recently, and I was shocked by the tiny white sections of publicly owned land. Scotland has the most unequal land ownership in the world. I hope this isn’t all about money and that we can all have an equal voice. We need a culture of equal chances and co-operation, that starts in the early years. of education. 

We must act, and act soon to change all that.  
Chelsea Clinton
Yanis Varoufakis, Maria Alyokhina (Pussy Riot)

**What freedoms do we cherish? Maria Alyokhina fled from Russia to perform in Edinburgh. 

Interesting article on Democracy in Sunday Herald – that into todays world of peer to peer interconnectedness -  this centralised, top down state of government that worked centuries ago is no longer working for us. 

Sunday, 29 October 2017

Women Writers EIBF 2017

Sheila  Rowbotham
Evelyn Glennie
Hera Lindsay Bird
Laura Albert
Lura Waddell
Katy Mahood
Elif Shafak
Caroline Brothers
Harriet Walter


Saturday, 23 September 2017

Edinburgh Book festival (EIBF) 2017 and Building Bridges

Richard Ford
EIBF 2017 Building Bridges and Tearing them Down:
Divisions and Collaborations and Borders

The sun is shining the first days at EIBF and Chris Patten, the former Governor of Hong Kong, is being interviewed by stv on the lawn. The Scotsman is being sold along with freebies at the entrance (although the Scotsman is now the Scottish Daily Mail and not the paper it was back in the 70s) and we are ready to hear, meet and greet the famous and new emerging writing talent.

Another year to celebrate the written and spoken word in the perfect setting of Charlotte square Edinburgh. EIBF is a celebration of books, written words ideas, spaces to collaborate and exchange views, inspiring stories. retrieving and renewing. There were debates this year on how to build on the nature of “civic” nationalism, with collaboration and with looking outward to common interests, shared values, an informed country, and to renew Scottish arts.
 
Chris Patten
Caroline Brothers

Simon Callow
Laura Albert
**EIBF 2017! I want to praise the many open-minded cultured, lateral thinking, travelling journey men and women – the writers in Scotland today – who value the journey; try to comprehend the new; the young as well as the past; the historic streets as well as the complex internet. They are looking for ‘open spaces’ to discuss new worlds, adaptability, progress, to build bridges and for accountability.

There are many great Scottish thinkers, writers, doers, of the past to follow on from - George Buchanan, Thomas Muir, David Hume, Allan Ramsay, Robert Burns, James Clark Maxwell, Carnegie, Walter Scott. As well as the Edinburgh enlightenment figures of David Hume, Frances Hutcheson, Adam Smith and Adam Fergusson. For centuries Scotland had kept close and political links to Europe part of the community of European scholars – Diderot, Goethe, Montesquieu and Voltaire. In Scotland the most literate nation in Europe in 1750 - in the 18th century Edinburgh was a leading light in the Enlightenment. Change can be good or bad, but always necessary. 
Writers of 'Nasty Women'

We live in such strange times”
The first article I read was Andrew O’Hagan on his journey to Yes. Wonderful piece.
O’Hagan gave an inspired talk “on his journey from no to yes, of his being at the count and driving home after to Ayrshire and his feeling that the future Scotland had changed that day. He had been to sit in on the court rulings over May’s attempt to use the 'Royal prerogative' to railroad in the Article 50 for the UK to leave Europe, without any consultation with Westminster. He was horrified at the slamming of Scotland’s interests.
Paul Muldoon

Irish Day!  Thursday was Irish day and how polite they were too! I dashed up after too to see the performers on the high street and attended a few shows
I always enjoy a couple of nights at the free Unbound shows – and this proved a quality, fun night. 
**Unbound “Paul Muldoon’s Picnic.” Irish Evening. ‘A Gathering of poetry, prose and music’ – that included Mercury nominated Lisa Hannigans, who writes songs of love, loss and longing.
Sandy Moffat, Alan Riach, John Purser
**EIBF TALKS
(1)  *Framing the Arts’ - statesmen of Scottish Arts - Professor of Scottish literature Alan Riach, painter Sandy Moffat, and musician and composer, John Purser
How we might build a more positive future for Scotland and of the general ignorance of Scots of their arts and heritage. They discussed Arts at the heart of life in Scotland and the cultural history of literature, painting, and music. Raich had a 2 page spread in the National newspaper, that day on the artist Margaret Hunter that day. They spoke of the cultural divisions and battlegrounds and they spoke of knowing what was in their own house, as well as looking outwards. Book, ‘Arts and the Nation,
 (2) *Gerry Hassan and Michael Keating (professor of Politics Aberdeen) Hassan mentioned that London’s’ shadow was only similar to Moscow in Russia and the dysfunctionality of the UK. Books ‘Scotland the Bold, A Nation Changed?

(3) Visions for a Future Scotland’ - with singer songwriter Karine Polwart, Thomas McEachan, from the Youth Parliament), Chris Van Der Kuyh of the Dundee Games industry. They discussed Voltaire’s quote “We look to Scotland” –and whether Scotland still has this clout today? They all spoke of what we value most about people – respect, compassion, warmth. Also that Adam Smith did not only write of economics, he also wrote, Theory of Moral Statements of Human Empathy’. Smith also fought against slavery. 

Hera Lindsay Bird
John Niven
Katie Manhood
***Maybe there is no right or wrong, yes or no, and as the song claims ‘About building Bridges' or 'Fifty Tones of Grey', (my son’s successful a Capella group!). How do we build those bridges? 
A little shot of stardust perhaps – My first thought is it’s not the politicians who have all the answers and their positions are too entrenched. We need bridges, conversations and more diverse voices, more than ever. A theme running though the EIBF this year was the need to bring different voices together and for physical platforms through the Arts. 

Its been 250 years since Burns wrote his epic ‘A Mans a Man’. He wrote of equality – which he learnt from ministers and great philosophical writers in the Declaration of Arbroath Scotland and its charter for democratic principles, taken on by American and French struggles late 18th century. The great thinkers saw the hoped for ‘that all men and women are equal’ – perhaps it’s the journey that is harder to understand. How do we get there?

I worry, even hundreds of years after these great thinkers (and all the great thinkers today) – nothing much has changed. Scotland may believe in equality, freedom, education and fairness for all citizens, but we are still a land of great divisions.
Evelyn Glennie
Nicholas Hytner 
Colm Toibín
Marcus Sedgwick
Paul Astor
*At EIBF there were questions over the concept of "Nationalism". Scottish nationalism is not about race, or religion, its about all who live here. At EIBF politician Chris Patten and Turkish writer Elif Shafak, questioned that N can ever be a force for good – the opposite is that globalization is not always the right answer either. Edinburgh is very much an international and European city. In the Arts it is crucial to understand your own heritage and also to look outwards. Scotland’s self-rule is firstly about democracy and secondly the importance of being both national and international and modelled on small countries in a bigger trading block, such as Norway. They misunderstand, SN is the opposite - and not a narrow or nasty 'blood and soil' nationalism - SN has always been inclusive, open, diverse, outward looking and welcoming and about how do we build bridges.

(All photos are copyright of the author, for any Licence for use online or in print media, please contact on my Facebook, thanks)

**BOOKS
AC Grayling – ‘Democracy and its Crisis’
Alan Riach – ‘The Winter book’, poetry
‘Outriders’ – a special project of both Scottish and American writers travelling across America to express the state of play in this highly diverse country today.
Alan Riach, John Purseer, Sandy Moffat – ‘Arts and the Nation’
Gerry Hassan – ‘Scotland the Bold’, ‘A Nation Changed’
Michael Keating - ‘A Wealthier, Fairer Scotland’